Ah, summer! A time when kids are free to roam the streets, playing with their friends, enjoying the great outdoors and getting plenty of exercise. Or… sit on the couch in the dark with a video game controller asking if it’s time for lunch yet.
If you’d like your youngster’s summer to be more of the former than the latter, you’ll want something more appealing than “go play outside” to get them off the couch. Here are a variety of local options to suit the needs of the little ones under your roof to quiet that old familiar song: “I’m bored”
Seattle YMCA offers an Outdoor Day Camp focused on adventures in nature: hiking, swimming, exploration, and even some education about nature disguised as fun.
Seattle’s School of Acrobatics & New Circus Arts (SANCA) has a variety of camps for the twisty, tumbly, high-flying kid. Camp-goers will learn basic acrobatics and circus skills like juggling, acrobatics, and even some time on the trapeze!
Seattle Children’s Theater has both classes and camps for your budding star, where kids can learn tools of the trade like stage makeup and improv or act out roles from musicals. Some of the camps take place at special Seattle locations like the EMP or Pacific Science Center.
First Step Athletic in Ballard is the summer camp for kids one a mission to hone or develop their athletic ability. If the school year is full of practices and games, the summer can be used to learn proper form and exercised to develop strength and prevent injury. (*2015 update: the website for this camp no longer works, additional Seattle summer camps can be found here: http:/seattlesummercamps.com/)
Whether you’ve got an acrobat, explorer, athlete or actor, fostering these interests and skills is a great way to for your kids to spend the summer, not to mention give you a break from being the 24/7 source of entertainment.